Verb Transformation TON Strategy Co invests $558 million in The Open Network

[Coin World] With the support of oversubscribed private placements and giants in the encryption field, Verb is positioning itself as a bridge between institutional capital and the thriving Blockchain ecosystem of The Open Network. On August 8, Nasdaq-listed Verb Technology Company Inc. announced the successful completion of an expanded and oversubscribed private placement of $558 million, marking a key step for the company in its transformation into a publicly traded Toncoin ( TON ) holder. The transaction was led by Kingsway Capital, with support from heavyweight companies including a certain trading platform, a certain investment institution, and another trading platform, marking a watershed moment for the native Token of The Open Network. Verb plans to immediately deploy most of the proceeds into TON, staking these assets to generate returns while maintaining long-term exposure to the asset.

Verb Technology has decided to invest $558 million into Toncoin, which can be seen as a carefully placed bet on the integration of messaging and blockchain economies. Unlike traditional corporate treasuries that passively hold Bitcoin, Verb's strategy relies on two key advantages: staking rewards and direct access to Telegram's ecosystem, which currently has over 1 billion users. "As the exclusive blockchain infrastructure for the Telegram Mini App ecosystem, we believe in the potential growth of Toncoin's utility and adoption," said incoming Executive Chairman Manuel Stotz, who is also the President of the TON Foundation. The statement underscores Verb's argument: TON is not just another altcoin, but the native currency of a rapidly expanding digital economy. Recent integrations from Telegram, including TON-based ad payments, NFT settlements, and mini-app transactions, have created an inherent demand loop for the token.

To reflect its new development direction, the company announced it will be renamed TON Strategy Co., marking its shift from the foundation of social commerce to a specialized digital asset reserve model. This transformation is accompanied by a complete executive reshuffle, forming a team with deep connections to both Wall Street and the institutional encryption field. Manuel Stotz, founder of Kingsway Capital and president of the TON Foundation, will serve as executive chairman; Veronika Kapustina, former senior advisor of the TON Foundation with investment banking experience, will serve as CEO; and Sarah Olsen, with a background in JP Morgan and blockchain development, will serve as CFO. The CEO of a certain trading platform, Peter Smith, also joined the team as a special advisor, further emphasizing the institutional depth behind Verb's transformation.

The actions of Verb may set a precedent for how traditional markets interact with the ecosystem of encryption. If successful, it could prompt other companies to go beyond Bitcoin or Ethereum and rethink the significance of their corporate encryption strategies.